The human heart behind Myanmar’s fight against tuberculosis

As Myanmar faces a rising TB burden, digital tech and dedicated community health workers like radiographer Kay Khaing are bridging the gap between a deadly disease and free, life-saving care. 

Tuberculosis (TB) – a life-threatening disease that kills more than a million people globally every year – is one of Myanmar’s most serious public health challenges. The country is among the highest TB burden countries globally. Actual data is unavailable, but the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the number of cases has increased by 23 percent between 2015 and 2024.

The burden of TB falls disproportionately on people who already face significant barriers to healthcare. These include people living in congested urban areas, particularly in Yangon, and communities in remote areas where weak health infrastructure and limited access to services can delay diagnosis and care.

Through the Access to Health Fund managed by UNOPS, partners support TB prevention, early detection and treatment among these high-risk populations. Community-based health workers provide health education, screening and referrals, helping people access testing and start treatment as early as possible. They also support patients throughout the long course of treatment needed to cure the disease.

Early diagnosis is critical to improving treatment outcomes and preventing the spread of TB. One of the most important tools for detecting the disease is chest X-ray imaging, which can reveal signs of TB before laboratory results are available. But diagnosis is not just about machines, medicines or test results. It depends on a network of skilled health workers who help patients navigate a long and often difficult journey to recovery.

Among them is radiographer Kay Khaing, whose work helps turn symptoms and uncertainty into answers.

The weight behind the machine

Most people never think about what happens in the X-ray room. They walk in, hold their breath for a moment, and walk out. But for a TB patient, that brief moment can change everything. Kay knows this better than most.

Every day, patients walk into her room carrying more than just a referral slip. Many have never had an X-ray before. Some arrive anxious, unsure of what the machine might reveal, and wondering whether they can afford to keep coming back.

“Most of the patients who come here are struggling financially. So, it is a relief for them because we provide the services free of charge,” said Kay. 

She understands their worries, having supported her own grandmother through TB treatment. 

“Back then, since I hadn't entered this field yet, I didn't understand much about TB. Getting treatments at outside clinics was expensive. We mostly had to buy the medicines ourselves,” she said. “When patients around my grandmother's age come into the clinic, I remember her.”

From darkroom to digital 

Kay is only 30, but she has already worked across a rapidly changing field. Not long ago, she was developing film plates in a darkroom, waiting to see if the image was usable. Then came cassette scanning. Now she works with a digital radiography system that produces a sharp image within seconds of the shutter clicking.

“Technology is constantly advancing day by day,” she said. “I always try to keep up so that I can better care for patients.”

In the clinic, she is part of a wider network of frontline health workers supporting TB care – many of them women – who bring skill, patience, and deep community trust to some of the most demanding work in public health. 

“Sometimes, looking at the patient’s X-rays, I feel proud to have studied Radiography. It is beneficial to have learned this. I am very happy to be a Radiographer.”